Nina Hay stands in the Lauderdale County Agriculture Center, describing the difference between beef and dairy cattle to a group of curious young people, many of whom have never seen a farm animal in real life.  

“I like watching their faces light up,” the 15-year old says. “They get so happy when they see all the farm animals.” 

As a way to expose children to agriculture, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is holding an event called FARMtastic this week. The program is an agricultural experiential learning activity for students in the second, third and fourth grades, according to the MSU-Extension website.

Students attending FARMtastic walk through different areas featuring everything from farm animals to trees, and even learn how cotton is used to make money. 

Shani Hay, an agent with the extension service and Nina Hay’s mother, said that because Mississippi is an agricultural state, it’s important for young people to learn about its role in our economy. Without agriculture, people would not have access to food, milk, or many other things, she said. 

Nina Hay, sees that disconnect, noting that some of the students she’s met at the event think eggs and milk come from the grocery store, not from animals. 

“It just shows you how much they don’t know about farms,” she said.

Brandon Prather and his classmates from T.J. Harris Lower Elementary School enjoyed their time at the event, stopping to count rings on an oak tree and seeing and touching different animals.

The second grader said that he learned how important trees are to the environment, and hopes that other young people have the opporunity to learn what he learned during FARMtastic.